


Thank You

by tunglo



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Extra Treat, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 15:31:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12484864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tunglo/pseuds/tunglo
Summary: Richard doesn't miss working with a human partner.





	Thank You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NaughtyAnne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaughtyAnne/gifts).



Richard isn’t stupid. He knows what his colleagues think of him. What they say about him, even, when they think he’s out of earshot. Because Kennex is worse than most, it’s true, but he’s not alone in the sentiment.

That’s the problem of working with other people. They’re immature and untrustworthy. They’ll be nice as pie to your face, when they want something, then stick the knife in the moment your back is turned.

He doesn’t miss working with a human partner.

The MXs, on the other hand, are steadfast and loyal. They don’t make fun of him behind his back, and they never give the Captain false reports designed to make him look bad. They tell the truth, simple and unadorned, and because of that you always know where you stand with them.

His own MX has proved its worth over and over again. It never judges him and finds him wanting. Instead it relies on him completely for supplementary information about human nature and motive, and looks at him like he’s a god on earth when he can point out something a fellow human would think obvious.

He finds himself talking to it, sometimes, and though it’s entirely pointless it never complains at him or tells him to keep his mouth shut. It respects his authority, values his opinions, and Richard can’t help but start to look forward to the time they spend together.

It happens without his say so, without his notice, until the day Kennex pulls a gun on it and the white hot rage he feels has him stepping in front of the muzzle and barking at the man to get away from his partner.

“Don’t tell me I shouldn’t have done it,” Richard snaps in warning when it’s just the two of them. He doesn’t need a lecture on risk assessment and the deployment of police resources.

“It is not my place to judge your actions, Detective Paul,” the MX tells him, and if Richard were a sentimental kind of guy he would have sworn its tone was fond, “I only wished to say thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> As ever, feel free to chat / hit me with prompts over on Tumblr [@serenwib](http://serenwib.tumblr.com/) or Twitter [@falsteloj](https://twitter.com/falsteloj). :)


End file.
